NOMINATION OF SENATE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
Ret Lt Gen Roberto Ancan

Mr. President, dear colleagues, good afternoon.

The Rules of the Senate states that the Sergeant-at-Arms shall be responsible for the security and maintenance of order in the session hall, antechambers, corridors and offices of the Senate, whether in session or not, in accordance with the orders of the President or the Secretary. We need someone who can protect not only the twenty four Senators elected by the people, but also the one thousand four hundred thirty-six (1,436) Senate employees and all who visit the Senate, Filipino or not. We need someone who is brave.

It is my honor to nominate for the position of Senate Sergeant-at-Arms one of the bravest men I have ever had the privilege of knowing and working with - Retired Lieutenant General Roberto Ancan. Preceded by an illustrious and well-decorated military career, Lt. Gen. Ancan may easily be equated with the assignments and positions he has been given. I can choose to enumerate all his assignments and the awards and citations given to him. However, the posts he has occupied and the awards that he has received hardly do him justice, Mr. President. Today, in this nomination, let me pay tribute to him through a story. A story of his nobility in character, story of his strength.

Mr. President, when I was the provincial director of Compostela Valley Province then and now Davao De Oro, Lt. Gen. Ancan, then a full colonel was the brigade commander of 1001st brigade and there was one time that one of the army and CAFGU detachment were attacked by the CPP-NPA. And the main man manning this detachment somewhere in Monkayo, somewhere in Pasian, Monkayo, Davao De Oro, were asking for help. They were asking for reinforcement because they were beleaguered. They were surrounded, and a number, and they were almost overwhelmed by the attack staged by the NPA. So I decided to make the necessary reinforcement. So I prepared my troops and ready to give the reinforcement. When I called up, Col. Ancan, I told him, "Where are you?" He told me, "Sir, I am still here in New Bataan, farther than your location." Because my location was at Nabunturan, Davao De Oro. So I told him, "Okay, mas malapit ako. Mauna na akong mag-reinforce, sunod ka na lang. Dahil 'yung mga bata mo do'n sa detachment talagang humihingi ng reinforcement. Baka maubos 'yon. Sabi niya, "Sir, 'di pwede, Sir. 'Wag kang mauna. Dapat ako ang mauna dahil delikado, Sir. Sigurado, ma-ambush ka doon. Sabi ko, "No, 'wag kang mag-alala. May dala akong one company na Special Action Force and one company of Provincial Mobile Group so laban na ito 'pag kami'y in-ambush." Sabi niya, "No, Sir. Please hintayin mo ako." Sabi ko, "Malapit na ako. Mauna na ako." Sabi niya, "Sir, hindi ko kaya. Hindi makaya ng konsensya ko kapag ikaw ay na-ambush. Kailangang ako ang mauna." Sabi ko, "Gawin mo ang kayang mong gawin, basta ako, I have to move." So nauna akong mag-move, Mr. President. Papunta na ako do'n sa encounter area, 'yung aking convoy, we were constantly communicating with each other. Sabi niya, "Sir, please, slow down. Slow down. 'Wag ka munang pumasok, Sir, dahil sigurado ako ambush-in ka, Sir." Kasi kami, Mr. President, 'yung aming movement doon sa Mindanao, 'pag if you are the commander, hindi po pu-pwede 'yung commander na in the convoy, nasa gitna ka, or nasa likuran ka. Ang tawag sa'yo ng mga sundalo doon ay salto o kaya talawan. Kaya ipakita mo talagang siga ka, you have to lead the convoy. So ako, I was the provincial director, ako talaga nanguna sa convoy. The same is true with General Ancan, talagang siya ang nanguna sa convoy niya. So ang NPA, alam na nila kung sino talagang ta-target-in una, 'yung lead ng convoy dahil 'yan ang commander. But we have to, that's the norm, that's the culture of the troops in the field. 'Pag commander ka, 'wag kang patago-tago sa gitna, 'wag kang sa likuran, sa harap ka talaga. Now, while I was going to the detachment that was being attacked, here comes the convoy of Gen. Ancan.

"Sir, permission to overtake." Nauna siya. Na-overtake-an niya ako. Sabi ko, "Sige. Mabuti't nakahabol ka. i don't know paano niya ginawa 'yon. Pinalipad siguro niya 'yung mga sasakyan nila. Wala namang helicopter pero talagang ang layo ng hinabol niya para lang talagang hindi ako madisgrasya. Nag-overtake siya. Minutes later, du'n na, nakarinig na ako ng putukan. Unang putok, "Pak!" Sunod-sunod na, "Pak, pak, pak!" Dahil grabe na ang volume of fire. 'Yung first shot pala na putok, that was a sniper fire. Sniper fire, siya ang tinarget kasi nasa front seat siya ng kanyang sasakyan. Col. Ancan was tinamaan dito sa main artery ng kanyang leeg. Ang main artery, 'yung loob ng kanyang sasakyan, talagang puno ng dugo. Ubos na 'yung dugo niya dahil hindi naman siya basta-basta na ma-withdraw namin dahil busy rin kami sa engkwentro. Ang kalaban, ang dami. Nakaabang sa amin sa kalsada. So it took a while bago namin siya na-retrieve doon sa sasakyan niya. Nu'ng na-retrieve namin siya sa sasakyan niya, dinala ko sa, dinala namin sa, 'yung merong may maliit na hospital. Sa Compostela banda. Pagdating doon tinanggalan namin ng combat boots. Nakita ko puting-puti na 'yung paa niya eh. 'Yung paa niya puting-puti na, meaning wala nang dugo. Loss of blood na. Sabi ko, "Mamamatay na itong bata na ito," dahil wala na. Ang daming dugong nawala. So tumawag ako ng helicopter ng air force at na-evac (evacuate) namin siya papuntang Davao City. If you can recall, Col. Ancan, habang kinakarga namin sa chopper, sabi ko sa kanya, "I don't know how to thank you for taking the bullet for me. For taking that M14, M14 bullet from an M14 rifle for me. Maraming salamat at ikaw ang tinamaan, hindi ako." Gano'n po ako nagpasalamat sa kanya. But gano'n na lang 'yung mata niya, gano'n gano'n na lang, sabi ko, "Hindi na ito aabot ng ospital. Mamamatay na ito." But I was very thankful and very sad because magkasama na kami sa academy, in PMA, I was one year ahead of him pero komo pareho kaming mga Bisaya, palagi kaming nagkukwentuhan. That's how we knew each other. So 'yon, Mr. President. Literally and figuratively, General Ancan took a bullet for me. Gano'n po siya kagaling at katapang na opisyal.

So Mr. President, certainly, Mr. President, if one considers General Ancan's career, one cannot help but admire him for all his achievements. Imposibleng hindi siya hangaan. Imposibleng hindi tayo bumilib sa kanya. His own hometown of Victorias City in Negros Occidental cheers him on, being the very first Victoriahanon to reach the rank of general in the AFP.

And yet, as we share and listen to the stories about him, we come to understand that admiring him is simply not enough. We see him for the man that he is. He is a man who is selfless and brave, or, more precisely, one who is brave, because he is selfless.

Moreover, we realize how fortunate we are to have General Ancan with us, to be responsible for maintaining security and order here at the Senate. To say that he will fulfill his duty is an understatement, for I know that he will willingly go above and beyond his function, as he has always done.

And so, Mr. President, in making this nomination, I am not simply nominating General Ancan for the position of Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. I am, more fundamentally, nominating an honorable man for yet another opportunity to exercise selflessness, and, by extension, utmost bravery.

So, General Ancan, if you're listening, 'wag mo akong ipapahiya. You will be securing and protecting 24 of the most high-profile government officials after the President and Vice President, itong bente-kwatrong tao na ito ang pinakaimportanteng tao sa buong Pilipinas because we are nationally elected. At alam mo na, this is the last bastion of democracy, itong establisyemento na iyong ga-guwardiyahan so maraming salamat for your, for answering the call. As I have told you, 'yung tinamaan ka, "Hindi ka pa mamamatay dahil may misyon ka pa dito sa mundo." Tayong dalawa may misyon pa. Tingnan mo, naging senador ako, ikaw maging Sergeant-at-Arms. So may plano pa si Lord para sa atin.

Mr. President, that's all for my nomination to General Ancan.

Thank you, Mr. President.